A Brief and True History of the Philippines' Road to Independence
Ever since President Diosdao Macapagal changed Philippine Independence Day from July 4th to June 12th because of outrage over the United States' failure to pay the Philippines a $73 million debt it owed the entire nation has been celebrating a lie and has forgotten its true history. As the story goes Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence on June 12th, 1898 and the nation has been independent ever since by virtue of that fact.
It is true that Aguinaldo declared independence on June 12th 1898 but that independence was never recognised by any nation nor was it ever realised by the Philippines. Later during the Philippine-American war Aguinaldo, President of the First Republic, was taken captive and swore an oath of fidelity to the USA thus ending any notion that the Philippines was independent. June 12th, 1898 was most certainly not the day the Philippines became an independent nation.
Flag flown by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12th, 1898
Let us look briefly at the Philippines' road to independence. To keep this post orderly I will only look at a few key events: Aguinaldo's 1898 declaration of independence, the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934, and the Treaty of Manila of 1946. Many interesting facts of history will necessarily be skipped over but I hope that you the reader will be motivated to take the time to research and read them for yourself.
1. Aguinaldo's 1898 declaration of independence
Independence was proclaimed by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12th, 1898.
And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions the Supreme Judge of the Universe, and under the protection of the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the United States of America, we do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name and by authority of the people of these Philippine Islands,
That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased to have any allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are and should be completely severed and annulled; and that, like other free and independent States, they enjoy the full power to make War and Peace, conclude commercial treaties, enter into alliances, regulate commerce, and do all other acts and things which an Independent State has a right to do,
And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind ourselves to support this Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our most sacred possession, our Honor.
Oddly enough Aguinaldo recognised the Philippines as being both independent and under the protection of the United States. It should also be noted that in this document Aguinaldo is referred to as "our famous dictator" and the Philippines as a dictatorship. It's as if dictatorial government is part of the DNA of the Philippines.
BEFORE ME, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counsellor and Special Delegate designated to proclaim and solemnize this Declaration of Independence by the Dictatorial Government of the Philippines, pursuant to, and by virtue of, a Decree issued by the Egregious Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy...
We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we revere as the Supreme Head of this Nation, which today begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction that he has been the instrument chosen by God...
Moreover, we confer upon our famous Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo all the powers necessary to enable him to discharge the duties of Government, including the prerogatives of granting pardon and amnesty...
Ninety-eight people were signatories to this declaration. One of them was a United States army officer, Col. L.M. Johnson. The presence of this lone American solider is significant because Aguinaldo wanted the presence of the Americans at the event. He even invited Admiral Dewey, the man who promised him the US would recognise the Philippines' independence, but he did not attend nor did he report this event to Washington.
As everyone knows this declaration of independence did not fulfil its promise because the United States took full control of the Philippines with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Shortly after the Philippine-American war broke out which resulted in Emilio Aguinaldo's capture and his swearing an oath of fidelity to the United States. If it was ever alive the First Republic was now dead.
2. The Philippine Organic Act of 1902
Though the US had full control of the Philippines such control was never meant to be permanent. The goal of US policy according to President Theodore Roosevelt was to make Filipinoscapable of self-government.
In the Philippines our problem is larger. They are very rich tropical islands, inhabited by many varying tribes, representing widely different stages of progress toward civilization. Our earnest effort is to help these people upward along the stony and difficult path that leads to self-government. We hope to make our administration of the islands honorable to our Nation by making it of the highest benefit to the Filipinos themselves; and as an earnest of what we intend to do, we point to what we have done. Already a greater measure of material prosperity and of governmental honesty and efficiency has been attained in the Philippines than ever before in their history.
It is no light task for a nation to achieve the temperamental qualities without which the institutions of free government are but an empty mockery. Our people are now successfully governing themselves, because for more than a thousand years they have been slowly fitting themselves, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously, toward this end. What has taken us thirty generations to achieve, we cannot expect to have another race accomplish out of hand, especially when large portions of that race start very far behind the point which our ancestors had reached even thirty generations ago. In dealing with the Philippine people we must show both patience and strength, forbearance and steadfast resolution. Our aim is high. We do not desire to do for the islanders merely what has elsewhere been done for tropic peoples by even the best foreign governments. We hope to do for them what has never before been done for any people of the tropics—to make them fit for self-government after the fashion of the really free nations.
"The temperamental qualities without which the institutions of free government are but an empty mockery." That sentence, that analysis, that truth is the key to understanding why Philippine government, as much as it appears to be like that of the West, is so riddled with corruption and so different from anything in the West. Filipinos lack the temperamental qualities conducive to free government. We see this in the corruption that is endemic to Philippine government at every level.
Only seven months after this speech the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 was passed on July 1, 1902. This law created a bicameral Filipino legislature. As soon as the insurrection ended a census was to be taken. Two years after the census a general election was to be had for delegates to the lower House known as the Philippine Assembly while the upper house, the Philippine Commission, had its members appointed.
Section 7. That two years after the completion and publication of the census, in case such condition of general and complete peace with recognition of the authority of the United States shall have continued in the territory of said Islands not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes and such facts shall have been certified to the President by the Philippine Commission, the President upon being satisfied thereof shall direct Commission to call, and the Commission shall call, a general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly of the people of said territory in the Philippine Islands, which shall be known as the Philippine Assembly. After said Assembly shall have convened and organised, all the legislative power heretofore conferred on the Philippine Commission in all that part of said Islands not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes shall be vested in a Legislature consisting of two Houses - the Philippine Commission and the Philippine Assembly.
In addition to the creation of the Philippine Assembly two Resident Commissioners representing the Philippines in the US Congress were to be chosen. This office of Resident Commissioner lasted until 1946. While there is a lot more happening in this law we must move to the next stop on the road to independence. What is important to know is that this bill was the first step towards autonomous Philippine government.
3. The Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916
Also known as the Jones Law, the Philippine Autonomy Act was passed into law in August 1916. This law superseded the Organic Act of 1902 and allowed for a fully elected bicameral Congress.
The law begins thusly:
WHEREAS it was never the intention of the people of the United States in the incipiency of the war with Spain to make it a war of conquest or for territorial aggrandisement; and
WHEREAS it is, as it has always been, the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognise their independence as soon as a stable government can be established therein; and
WHEREAS for the speedy accomplishment of such purpose it is desirable to place in the hands of the people of the Philippines as large a control of their domestic affairs as can be given them without, in the meantime, impairing the exercise of the rights of sovereignty by the people of the United States, in order that, by the use and exercise of popular franchise and governmental powers, they may be the better prepared to fully assume the responsibilities and enjoy all the privileges of complete independence: Therefore...
The intent to eventually withdraw American sovereignty from the Philippines and recognise the Philippines as an independent nation was now explicitly enshrined in law. The law goes on to state:
Section 12. That general legislative powers in the Philippines, except as herein otherwise provided, shall be vested in a legislature which shall consist of two Houses, one the Senate and the other the House of Representatives, and the two Houses shall be designated “The Philippine Legislature”...
Manuel Quezon who was a Resident Commissioner to the United States helped author this bill writing several drafts before it was finally ratified and signed into law. The Jones Law was in effect until 1934 when the the Tydings-McDuffie Act, successfully lobbied for by Manuel Quezon, was passed.
4. The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934
The Tydings-McDuffie act is a Unites States federal law which created the Commonwealth of the Philippines and provided a final pathway for the Philippines' independence. Between 1918 and 1934 there were yearly "independence missions" from the Philippines to the US. The hope was that increased political pressure on the US government would lead to full independence.
One such mission lead by Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas led to the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act of 1932. Though ratified by Congress the President vetoed the bill. Manuel Quezon was also not a proponent of this bill. In 1934 Quezon led an independence mission to the US and the end result was the passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934.
This law provided for a constitution to be written which was to be approved by the people through a plebiscite. If the constitution was approved the United States would take that as the will of the people and a ten-year transition period to full independence would begin.
Sec. 4 ...If a majority of the votes cast shall be for the constitution, such vote shall be deemed an expression of the will of the people of the Philippine Islands in favor of Philippine independence, and the Governor-General shall, within thirty days after receipt of the certification from the Philippine Legislature, issue a proclamation for the election of officers of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands provided for in the constitution.
One interesting provision of this law is the section on immigration which limited the number of Filipinos allowed into the US to 50 per year. They were also not allowed to become naturalised citizens.
Sec. 8. (a) (1) ...For such purposes the Philippine Islands shall be considered as a separate country and shall have for each fiscal year a quota of fifty.
This provision was later overruled by the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 which increased the quota to 100. That act was overturned by the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 which abolished the quota system thereby completely transforming American immigration policy and subsequently altering American demographics and culture by allowing anyone from anywhere entrance into the United States. Whole enclaves of Filipinos have settled in cities across the US as a result of this law.
What is important to glean from the Tydings-McDuffie Act is that it allowed Filipinos to choose independence themselves. A vote for the constitution was to be "deemed an expression of the will of the people of the Philippine Islands in favor of Philippine independence." Independence was never granted to the Philippines. It was the goal from the beginning of the US' acquisition of the islands and when Filipinos were finally given a chance to vote on the matter the US respected the outcome of that vote.
The resultant 1935 constitution ends with these words in Article 18:
Section. 1. The government established by this Constitution shall be known as the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Upon the final and complete withdrawal of the sovereignty of the United States and the proclamation of Philippine independence, the Commonwealth of the Philippines shall thenceforth be known as the Republic of the Philippines.
This constitution written and approved by Filipinos states categorically that the Philippines was not an independent nation at the time of its writing. Independence did not come until 11 years later in 1946 with the signing of the Treaty of Manila.
5. The Treaty of Manila of 1946
Originally independence was to be recognised in 1945 but World War 2 put a damper on those plans. It was on July 4th, 1946 that the Treaty of Manila was signed.
The United States of America agrees to withdraw, and surrender, and does withdraw and surrender, all right of possession, supervision, jurisdiction, control or sovereignty existing and exercised by the United States of America in and over the territory and the people of the Philippine Islands, except the use of such bases, necessary appurtenances to such bases, and the right incident thereto, as the United States of America, by agreement with the Republic of the Philippines, may deem necessary to retain for the mutual protection of the Republic of the Philippines and of the United States of America. The United states of America further agrees to recognize, and does hereby recognize, the independence of the Republic of the Philippines as a separate self-governing nation and to acknowledge, and does acknowledge, the authority and control over the same of the Government instituted by the people thereof, under the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.
Even though this treaty was signed on July 4th it was not ratified by the Philippines until September 30th and it was not signed by US President Truman until August 14th. The treaty did not come into force until October 22nd. Perhaps then the Philippines true independence day is October 22nd, 1946.
As you can read above the US relinquished all control of the Philippines except for necessary military bases to protect the Philippines and the United States. The issue of American military bases would come to a head in 1991 when all US military bases were closed. This withdrawal does not mean the US military has left the Philippines entirely. They have not. Continued US military presence and political influence has led some to believe that the Philippines is not independent but only a puppet of the US. However that is another story for another time.
Conclusion
The Philippines has not been independent for 121 years. The fact of the Philippines subjugation to the United States is ensconced in both United States law and the Philippines 1935 constitution. To deny this history is to deny the history of the Philippines. It is to silence the voice of the people who ratified the 1935 constitution and which the US recognised as "an expression of the will of the people of the Philippine Islands in favor of Philippine independence." It is to deny a place in history to Manuel Roxas, Manuel Quezon, and Sergio Osmeña all three of whom worked tirelessly to make the Philippines an independent nation. All three of whom are now largely forgotten.
Today July 4th is celebrated as Philippine-American Friendship Day. It is also known as Philippine Republic Day. On a now deleted government page about this day the facts related above are spelled out quite clearly.
On July 4, 1946, the United States formally recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines. This was the culmination of the process that began in 1916, when the Jones Law pledged the eventual recognition of Philippine independence, and the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1933, which provided for a ten-year transitional period to prepare for independence. The independence of the Philippines was marked by Manuel Roxas retaking his oath as President of the Philippines, eliminating the pledge of allegiance to the United States required prior to independence. Independence thereafter was celebrated on July 4th of every year until 1962.
Thereafter, the Congress of the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 4166 in 1964, formally designating June 12 of every year as the date of Philippine independence. The date commemorates the anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, because the date remains the foundation date for the modern, independent Republic of the Philippines and of our independent nationhood, as recognized by the world community. From 1964 until the 1984, Philippine Republic Day was celebrated as a national holiday.
The origin of Philippine–American Friendship Day dates to 1955, when President Ramon Magsaysay, by virtue of Proclamation No. 212, s. 1955, established the observance of “Philippine American Day.” The following year, by virtue of Proclamation No. 363, s. 1956, the celebration became a yearly event.
Sometime during the Marcos administration, Philippine–American Day was renamed Philippine–American Friendship Day and moved to July 4, overshadowing the observance of the date as Philippine Republic Day. Since the Third Republic and the 1935 Constitution were discarded by Martial Law, it was impolitic to remind the public of the old republic. This is why, when President Marcos issued Presidential Proclamation No. 2346 s. 1984, reference was made only to Philippine–American Friendship Day, which was relegated to a working holiday.
During the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino, the practice of celebrating Philippine–American Friendship Day and Philippine Republic Day as a non-working holiday was formally abolished. The Administrative Code of 1987 specified a list of non-working holidays that did not include July 4.
In 1996, President Fidel V. Ramos would once again commemorate the anniversary of Republic Day through Proclamation No. 811, s. 1996, not with a holiday but with public celebrations to commemorate 50 years of independence. On June 12, however, the country observes the anniversary of the proclamation of the independence that was lost after the defeat of the First Republic, and restored in 1946.
After moving Independence Day to June 12th President Macapagal declared that July 4th would be celebrated as Philippine Republic Day. This was celebrated as a national holiday until 1984. In 1996 President Ramos observed July 4th to commemorate 50 years of independence
WHEREAS,July 4, 1996 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Philippine-American Friendship Day which ushered the beginning of Philippine political independence from the American colonial rule;
What more proof is needed that June 12th, 1898 does not mark the beginning of Philippine Independence? A Presidential Proclamation from 1996 declares to the entire nation that July 4th, 1946 "ushered the beginning of Philippine political independence from the American colonial rule."
To end allow me to relate a story. I was asking some people if they knew who Manuel Roxas, Serge Osmeña, and Manuel Quezon are. A young man listening in on the conversation began telling us which peso bills their faces are on. Other than that he knew nothing about the accomplishments of those three men nor did the person I was speaking with know about them. Such is the state of ignorance which Filipinos have of their nation's history.
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